A Mickey Mouse toy is among the unusual items which have been found floating in the sewers by Severn Trent. 

It's thought the toy of the world-famous mouse was flushed down the toilet but thankfully it didn't cause a blockage after it was retrieved by sewerage engineers. 

And Mickey is not the only weird and wonderful item to be flushed away - a child's ride-along toy, safety signs, handlebars and a piece of a tree were all found either blocking pipes or in the treatment works. 

Grant Mitchell, Severn Trent Blockages Lead, said: "Poor old Mickey, he looks like he had quite the journey, but at least he made it out, there other items that get stuck and cause really nasty blockages.  

"That is why we need all our customers to really think about what is being flushed down the toilet or poured down the sink, 'be a binner, not a blocker', and protect their homes from blockages and potential flooding in the home, which is not nice for anyone.  

"We would urge everyone to keep in mind that only the 3P's should be put down the toilet – pee, poo and paper and make sure you are binning those fats, oils and greases rather than pouring them down the sink."

But Severn Trent say there is an important side to this story as incidents like this can have unfunny consequences such as causing blockages and flooding in homes and gardens.   

And it's not plush toys that are the water company's biggest problems, it's everyday items such as wet wipes, sanitary products and cotton buds, which find their way into the system that are the biggest issues.

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